Comment on I was treated with disrespect, smh
mech@feddit.org 2 days ago
Explanation:
The complaint tablet to Ea-nāṣir is a clay tablet that was sent to the ancient city-state Ur. Written c. 1750 BC. in Akkadian cuneiform, it is recognized as the “Oldest Customer Complaint”.
The tablet details that Ea-nāṣir travelled to Dilmun to buy copper and returned to sell it in Mesopotamia. On one particular occasion, he had agreed to sell copper ingots to Nanni. Nanni sent his servant with the money to complete the transaction. The copper was considered by Nanni to be sub-standard and was not accepted.
In response, Nanni produced the cuneiform letter for delivery to Ea-nāṣir. Inscribed on it is a complaint to Ea-nāṣir about a copper delivery of the incorrect grade and issues with another delivery. Nanni also complained that his servant (who handled the transaction) had been treated rudely. He stated that, at the time of writing, he had not accepted the copper, but had paid for it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complaint_tablet_to_Ea-n%C4%81%E1%B9%A3ir
iocase@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
I felt like adding a tangent that apparently cuneiform scribes could write as fast as a person talks. To do the same in English we have to use shorthand. I think it’s neat that cuneiform is itself both a shorthand and the entire language.
NotEasyBeingGreen@slrpnk.net 2 days ago
Do you have sources for this intriguing fact? Just looking at cuneiform I wouldn’t guess that it would be especially fast to write…
iocase@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
I heard the quote in passing but can’t find it. It was translated from a cuneiform tablet something to the effect of “a skilled cuneiform scribe can write as fast as the mouth moved”
Dr. Irving Finkel has said the same. The Babylonians and others managed massive bureaucracies at the time handling thousands of letters, court transcripts, and official dictations. There was more than enough practice for a scribe to get fast at it.